January 17, 2014

Survey reveals that minorities and younger students are more entrepreneurially inclined, and overall four in 10 U.S. students express plans to start a business

LOS ANGELES – January 16, 2014 – Global financial dignity leader, Operation HOPE announced today highlights from the 2013 Gallup-HOPE Index (GHI), a joint project focused on encouraging entrepreneurial development among youth and measuring their economic energy. The findings show that almost half of all racial and ethnic minority students say they plan to start their own business, while older students were found less likely than younger ones to have entrepreneurial intentions. Read the full study here.

“Each year the findings from the Gallup-HOPE Index help us to identify gaps in the entrepreneurial attitudes of America’s youth, and provide solutions,” said John Hope Bryant founder, chairman and CEO of Operation HOPE. “Through our project, we aim to better guide our youth on how to turn aspiration, to perspiration, to success. By fostering entrepreneurship in students today, we are creating better opportunity for more jobs tomorrow – the root of a healthy economy.”

Overall, four in 10 U.S. students express plans to start a business. Slightly fewer (38%) say they will invent "something that changes the world." The interest from students to “start their own business” has dropped from 45% in 2011 to 42% in 2013. Their belief that they will ‘invent something world-changing’ also declined in 2013 to 38% after holding steady in 2011 and 2012 at 42%. (Gallup Economy news 1-13-2013.)

The program inspires aspiring business owners, providing them with guidance on how to develop a business, manage finances and pitch to investors.

WCA primarily serves over-age and under-credited students working toward graduation. During this 'pitch' event, WCA students compete for the chance to partner with a local business role model. In addition, they can earn up to $500 in seed money, which will help students launch their ideas into viable businesses.

Known as the HOPE Business in a Box Academy, the 10-week program empowers students to take greater control over their financial future, teaching them critical financial literacy and entrepreneurship skills. The program is currently being used at six DPS high schools and intensive pathway programs, and DPS plans to expand it to additional schools.

January 13, 2014

Tomorrow's entrepreneurs have few opportunities to learn necessary skills

by Robin Myers and Preety Sidhu

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- About half of all racial and ethnic minority students (50%) say they plan to start their own business, compared with 37% of white students, according to recent findings from the Gallup-Hope Index.

The results are based on a telephone survey conducted Oct. 18-30, 2013, with a nationally representative sample of 1,009 U.S. students in grades 5-12.

Older Students Less Likely Than Younger Ones to Have Entrepreneurial Intentions

Students' desire to start their own business is lower among high schoolers than middle schoolers, and, more generally, decreases with each grade level. Roughly half of students in grades 5-8 (51%) say they plan to start their own business, compared with a third (33%) of those in grades 9-12.

This research comes from the newly released Gallup-HOPE Index national report on youth economic energy.

And as if this was not powerful enough, we did something unique -- asked the youth themselves to voice their own reasons and reasoning for engaging in Project 5117, for their future. When we got to this particular young man, asking him what he wanted to get out of the program, and what he saw his the vision for himself, he simply said "I want to wear a suit like John Hope Bryant." Boom. And there you have it. Reaching our young people is not rocket science, but it starts with asking them what they actually want, and then working to help them achieve. A special thank you to Michael Johnson, principal of George Washington High School, who literally gave the student to suit jacket off of his back to help him visualize his dream, right then and there.

5MK (5 MILLION KIDS) co-chair Quincy Jones says "it takes 20 years to change a culture," and then I added that "in the last 20 years we have made dumb sexy. We have dumbed down and celebrated, and we have to make smart sexy again." We must make smart cool, so kids want to start in school.

November 29, 2013

How is it that stock markets are up, equities are up, and yet people in general are feeling rather pessimistic about their own prospects and the nation overall, according to a CNN recent poll. How is this? Easy and simple -- jobs.

If you own stock, real estate and equities, then chances are you are one of the lucky few who are in the ownership class in America -- and maybe even amongst those making $100,000 or more annually in income (which also means that you are gainfully employed. You have a job).

But if you are unemployed, or if you are one of those as reported by the New York Times are amongst a class increasingly viewed as permanently unemployed, or those who have been jobless for 6 months or longer, you may not be feeling so rosy. 4 out of 10 Americans actually believe that the economy is getting worse.

The reality is that the economy, and even the economic structure itself has changed radically over the last 20 years, with big companies generally shedding employees in a preference for technological upgrades and efficiencies, and any new traditional major industry employment growth coming from low cost job producers, such as WalMart.

In 1974, approximately 4% of all jobs came from AT&T, which was a high salaried employer. Today, 1% of all jobs in America come from WalMart, respectfully a lower salaried employer.

November 20, 2013

Project 5117 Co-chairs, CEO of the King Center Dr. Bernice King, Civil Rights icon Ambassador Andrew Young and HOPE Founder John Hope Bryant announce new advisory board members and promote new online resource to help empower underserved communities

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 20, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- At the recent Operation HOPE Global Financial Dignity Summit in Atlanta, HOPE founder, chairman and CEO John Hope Bryant announced Project 5117, a multi-year initiative that will track and increase business role models for youth, boost credit scores for adults, and empower underserved communities. Today, HOPE is announcing the advisory board and the online resource tool for Project 5117.

Project 5117's advisory board, co-chaired by John Hope Bryant, Dr. Bernice King, CEO of the King Center, and Ambassador Andrew Young, chairman of the Andrew Young Foundation and HOPE Global Spokesman, is comprised of some of the nation's top business and financial leaders. Members include:

Steve Bartlett, former president and CEO of the Financial Services Roundtable, Chairman of the HOPE Inside National Advisory Board, and member of the Project 5117 Advisory Board;

Jim Clifton, chairman and CEO Gallup, Co-chair for America 2020 (A2020), and member of the Project 5117 Advisory Board;

Quincy Jones, famed songwriter and entertainer, Co-chair of 5 Million Kids (5MK), and member of the Project 5117 Advisory Board;

Natasha Foreman Bryant, Co-chair HOPE Business In A Box Academies Advisory Board, and member of the Project 5117 Advisory Board;

Russell Simmons, humanitarian, entrepreneur and entertainment mogul, and member of the Project 5117 Advisory Board;

Chaka Zulu, music executive and entrepreneur, and member of the Project 5117 Advisory Board.

November 09, 2013

Jim Clifton is chairman and CEO of one of the most important and influential companies in the world today -- Gallup. Jim Clifton is a gifted leader, a brilliant thought leader, and author of one of the best books I have read in 20 years, THE COMING JOBS WAR. But more so for me, Jim Clifton is my dear friend. He is also a mentor for life. Quiet literally, Jim is one of the smartest people I have ever met; ever.

Jim has a heart for people, and wants only the best for the future of America. I once asked Jim Clifton, who also serves as chairman of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund, why he liked Black people so much (he was also awarded two honorary doctorate degrees from HBCU's). Jim's response was just classic. It wasn't that he particularly 'loved' Black people, or not, by the way. To quote Jim Clifton, in his visionary own unique language, "John, I just want America to win."

October 24, 2013

Thanks to our partner Datawind and its CEO, Suneet Singh (and our friend Kim Polese who introduced us to Suneet), our HOPE Business In A Box Academies will soon also feature a custom HOPE Business In A Box Tablet for youth award winners! Each tablet will be loaded with all the business tools youth will need to build, start up and run their businesses!